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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · squash · foot · deal · content · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. foot — a measure
  7. shower — rain
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. deal — to handle
  10. content — happy
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. shower — to wash
  17. content — the amount
  18. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com